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What the published figures say
- 47rooftop tents from 9 brands, read November 7, 2026
- 90 to 280 lbpublished tent weights
- 4.3 to 16.5 inpublished closed heights
- $1,099 to $4,700lowest seller price per tent
A rooftop tent is three questions before it is a brand. Can your roof carry it while you drive? The tent's weight, plus the rack and everything else up there, must stay under the lower of two ratings: your vehicle roof's and your rack's, both dynamic, both in the manuals. Does it fit? The published bed has to be longer than the tallest sleeper, the published capacity has to cover your crew, and the closed height has to clear your garage. What does it really cost? The rack, the awning and shipping come on top, spread over the nights you will use it.
The tool at the top of this page answers the first question for every tent with a published weight. The other two have their own tools: Fits my crew and garage and Rooftop tent cost per night.
Soft shell, hard shell, hybrid: the figures
| Shell | Tents | Published weight | Published closed height | Lowest seller price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft shell | 9 | 90 lb to 170 lb (median 122 lb) [calc] | 9 in to 16.5 in (median 12.5 in) [calc] | $1,099 to $2,999 (median $1,799.99) [calc] |
| Hard shell | 37 | 114 lb to 280 lb (median 180 lb) [calc] | 4.3 in to 16 in (median 11 in) [calc] | $1,399 to $4,700 (median $2,995) [calc] |
| Hybrid (hard top, fold-out) | 1 | 128 lb | 11 in | $2,995 |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
The full figure-by-figure reading is in hard shell vs soft shell; every tent, with every seller's price, is in the rooftop tent comparison.
Prices from more than one seller
Where two stores sell the same tent or cooler, matched by part number, we list both, cheapest in stock first. On November 7, 2026, ROAM sold its Vagabond 2.0 for $2,040 on sale while Overland Kitted listed it at $2,550; ARB's Esperance 2 was $2,599.95 at Trail Recon and $2,890 at Overland Kitted. A struck-through price is always the store's own compare-at price.
Safety first, numbers second. Our tools compare published figures with the ratings you type; they do not replace your vehicle, rack and tent manuals. Mount every product as its manual says, keep within the dynamic ratings while driving and the static ratings when parked with people inside, and close the tent in strong wind.
Start here
- Will my roof carry it?: your two ratings against every published tent weight.
- Rooftop tent comparison: all tents, all sellers, our picks in 30 seconds.
- Roof rack for a rooftop tent: what tent makers require, rack ratings and awning weights.
- Best overland cooler: rotomolded coolers by price per quart.
Frequently asked questions
What should I check first before buying a rooftop tent?
The dynamic load rating of your vehicle roof and of your rack, in their manuals. The tent's published weight, plus the rack's weight and anything else on the roof, has to stay under the lower one while you drive. Everything else (shell, size, price) comes after.
Hard shell or soft shell?
In the tents we read, hard shells pack lower and soft shell fold-outs give longer beds for the money; weights overlap. The figures are side by side in our hard shell vs soft shell guide.
Where do your figures come from?
From the makers' and sellers' product pages and catalogs, read on November 7, 2026, quoted with their wording. When a figure is not published we say so. Our method page lists every source.
Do you test the tents?
No. We compare published figures and do the arithmetic in the open. We never describe comfort, noise or durability from experience we do not have.
Keep reading
- Will my roof carry it?Your two ratings in, the tents that stay under the lower one out, with the margin in pounds.
- Fits my crew and garageCrew, tallest sleeper and garage clearance in, the tents whose published sizes fit them out.
- Cost per nightThe tent's real price, your nights and your other option in, the cost of a night and the break-even point out.
- Compare every tentEvery tent we could read, the figures its maker publishes, and the price at every seller we checked.
- Overland coolersCapacity, empty weight and outside size as published, the makers' ice claims quoted, and the price per quart worked out.